East Jerusalem home demolished, 33 Arabs homeless

JERUSALEM (AP) — Jerusalem city authorities have demolished a building in east Jerusalem housing four families, leaving 33 Arab residents homeless.

The municipality said the building was built without proper permits and its structure was not sound.

Arab residents complain that it is nearly impossible to receive construction permits. The 33-member family displaced Tuesday said it was waiting to receive a permit.

Jerusalem city councilor Meir Margalit, a critic of the demolitions, said he has seen a small increase in recent months.

Housing demolitions in Jerusalem, common during the Palestinian uprising a decade ago, have become less frequent in recent years. Margalit says most of the houses demolished in the last two years were empty.